Danielson Pacific Crab Trap (24" x 24" x 13") - Ok to use in VA Beach?

[gompol]

Hello,

Sorry if this is a repeat post.
Tried to read the rules on the gov website but it sounds like lawyer-written contract.

I bought this crab trap from ebay, and my VA fisherman friend said it was ok to use as long as I don't sell the crabs that I catch (because that is commercial crabbing). But when I used it this morning at Shore Drive, someone told me that I cannot use it because it's for commercial use.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AYB5U/?tag=bca1-20

Can someone please clarify?

Thanks,
gompol

[Mikie]

Doesn't look legal to me, the reason being it can catch and hold the crabs until you retrieve and dump it. That's a commercial pot. If you have the necessary license to be able to set commercial pots as a recreational crabber they are probably fine. If Jack sees this I'm sure he'll chime in to clarify.

[jack1747]

In VA each person can fish 2 commercial pots without any license required.  Your good to go.  I have never seen a pot/trap like that.  Let us know how it does. 

EXEMPTIONS - The following activities are exempt from the licensing requirements:

1. Taking by dip net, hand line, or two crab pots as much as one bushel of hard crabs and two dozen peeler crabs in any one day for personal use aboard any vessel.  If crabbing occurs from shore (crabs are not possessed on a vessel) the possession limit is one bushel and two dozen peeler crabs per person per day.

http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/recfish&crabrules.shtm

[gompol]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Thats great that I dont have to sell these traps now.

So a crab trap and crab pot are the same?
And blue crabs fall under "hard" crabs?

Wow.. that website gets very technical.
Our family usually brings 1 or 2 coolers ("bushel") to hold crabs.
We go crabbing by shore and do chicken/string/handnet approach.
But I'm really excited to add these crab traps that I got from ebay.

So based on that rule you pasted here, were good to go.

Thanks again!

In VA each person can fish 2 commercial pots without any license required.  Your good to go.  I have never seen a pot/trap like that.  Let us know how it does. 

EXEMPTIONS - The following activities are exempt from the licensing requirements:

1. Taking by dip net, hand line, or two crab pots as much as one bushel of hard crabs and two dozen peeler crabs in any one day for personal use aboard any vessel.  If crabbing occurs from shore (crabs are not possessed on a vessel) the possession limit is one bushel and two dozen peeler crabs per person per day.

http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/recfish&crabrules.shtm

[jack1747]

Thanks for the quick reply!
Thats great that I dont have to sell these traps now.

So a crab trap and crab pot are the same?
And blue crabs fall under "hard" crabs?

Wow.. that website gets very technical.
Our family usually brings 1 or 2 coolers ("bushel") to hold crabs.
We go crabbing by shore and do chicken/string/handnet approach.
But I'm really excited to add these crab traps that I got from ebay.

So based on that rule you pasted here, were good to go.

Thanks again!

On the east coast folks call them pots.  On the gulf coast the guys call them traps.   Traps to us are collapsible traps.  The side close up when you pull the trap up.

I VA, collapsible traps are considered (by law) to be "handlines".  In VA you can use as many handlines as you want 7/24/365.

Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) come as peelers, soft crabs and hard crabs.

Click on the little red crab at the bottom of any page and the "INFO" section will open up.  There is a TON of crab info there. 

[CRABGUY]

Are you leaving this pot in the water "unattended" or using it as a hand line pull trap?
If you are leaving it in the water over night it will need Cull rings

*  A recreational crab pot must have at least two unobstructed cull rings at least 2 3/8  inches inside diameter cullrings located one each in opposite exterior side panels of the upper chamber of the pot; except on seaside of Accomack & Northampton Counties where each pot must have two cull rings: one cull ring at least 2 5/16 inches inside diameter and another at least 2 3/16 inches inside diameter located one each in opposite exterior side panels of the upper chamber of the pot [4 VAC 20-700-20].  Beginning 7/1/16, recreational crab pots could be licensed with or without turtle excluders, visit the link for more information.

[gompol]

Not overnight. More like leave 2 of these traps string-attached to my stake (pvc pipe) for about 20 minutes while i do my usual chicken/string/net approach. I would check every so often if crabs are inside.

Although if you look at the picture above, there are 2 cull rings on the top of the cage.

One thing I want to point out is that this is like a "cage".
Top/bottom and all 4 sides are closed with 4 one-way doors.
So I want to make sure this is considered a trap/pot.

It does not really collapse while doing crabbing.
It does collapse (flattens down) after you are done crabbing so you can save space when storing it.

Thanks!

Are you leaving this pot in the water "unattended" or using it as a hand line pull trap?
If you are leaving it in the water over night it will need Cull rings

*  A recreational crab pot must have at least two unobstructed cull rings at least 2 3/8  inches inside diameter cullrings located one each in opposite exterior side panels of the upper chamber of the pot; except on seaside of Accomack & Northampton Counties where each pot must have two cull rings: one cull ring at least 2 5/16 inches inside diameter and another at least 2 3/16 inches inside diameter located one each in opposite exterior side panels of the upper chamber of the pot [4 VAC 20-700-20].  Beginning 7/1/16, recreational crab pots could be licensed with or without turtle excluders, visit the link for more information.

[gompol]

I actually decided to call the number on that link and spoke to someone there.
I showed her the picture of the trap.
She approved it!

Now there is no more doubt

Thanks again!